Returning NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson points out how Daytona 500 is different in comparison to his last drive in 2020

Since 2020, Jimmie Johnson has retired twice: first from NASCAR and again in September 2022 from all racing.

However, the plan to retire has, for the time being, been postponed. The NASCAR icon will return to the track this week at the Daytona 500, putting himself back behind the wheel at the age of 47.

Jimmie Johnson announced his comeback as an owner-driver with Petty GMS in November, taking up an ownership role with the racing organization owned by NASCAR veterans Richard Petty and Maury Gallagher.

Johnson is one of the most successful NASCAR racers in history, having won seven Cup Series titles. Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive titles from 2006 to 2010, and he last won one in 2016.

But when it came to the Daytona 500, Johnson wasn't convinced his lap would be good enough to clinch a position in the 500 while he was on track. Johnson commented on his qualifying lap:

“When I pulled it into fifth gear … the RPMs dropped really far, I didn’t know that was normal. So the entire lap I made a run, I thought something was potentially wrong with the car. RPM was really low. It didn’t feel very fast."

Winning this weekend would put a stop to a 10-year winless streak at Daytona. Jimmie Johnson has three career victories at this track, but he last won here in 2013. He feels like there have been a lot of changes since he last drove on this track back in 2020. He added:

"Sure there is a lot of change with the car, but the race itself is maybe 25% different than it was before, If you go to a street course, road course, oval, different oval, non-plate track, it’s 100% different."

"The fundamentals of the draft, I think, outweigh the mechanical differences in the vehicle. So working the draft, working the lanes, a big part of that is always going to be regardless of the car.”

While Johnson has more titles than both Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, the rest of the field will not defer to Johnson when he makes moves in Sunday (February 19)'s race.

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Jimmie Johnson qualifies for Daytona 500 while Hendrick Motorsports lockout front row

Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time Cup winner who co-owns the Legacy Motor Club team, qualified for the Daytona 500 this weekend.

Alex Bowman appreciated yet another Daytona 500 pole trophy he earned by dominating Superspeedway in one quick lap before NASCAR's flagship event. Bowman and Kyle Larson completely transformed the Daytona 500 qualifying into yet another Hendrick Motorsports victory.

Bowman claimed his third career pole for the event at Daytona International Speedway in his No. 48 Chevrolet. Larson will join him on the front row in the No. 5 Chevrolet for NASCAR's season opener. The domination of Hendrick Motorsports is a reoccurring pattern at Daytona.